In the Studio

Stacy was wandering around with the camera the other day and got some fun pics of studio stuff, so I thought I'd throw them up here with a bit o' the narrative. I imagine this first one... the one where I look like I just woke up, will be my monitor pic. It seems fitting since there is no amount of sleep that can take that look off my face right now. All the better for the newbies to recognize me easily.



This is the bench I have recently and temporarily shanghied for the cozy, chatty, and relatively peaceful atmosphere - and so I don't feel like i am sooo in the way of absolutely everybody. Take note of my minimalist approach to working: Metal, Sand, Sandpaper, Phone, Candy.

Also, i've jacked this thing up like a monster truck now. I can finally get my knees under it!





And this is the stuff I'm working on. I've been working with brass square tubing all semester. For Stacy's class I am cutting it up and putting it back together. In Frankie's class, I'm doing this bendy swirly stuff. The mustache piece is my favorite. I hate the idea of selling it. It's the only one I'm attached to in the line... maybe I'll just stick a big fatty price tag on it and wear it during the sale so nobody can get at it. (...Don't worry Nina, I promise the rest can sell for very resonable prices)




These next two are for those of you that aren't in the class and curious as to how we roll. Somebody throws down their goods and then we all check it out. I felt like this was my best critique ever.

My work is the strongest it's ever been, despite a couple of crafting issues that have come up. The main suggestion given was one that really makes sense and will improve my line for sure.
Folks want me to do something different on the finishes, as in, make each one more unique. I was giving them all the same finish to make sure they tied together, and I may not deviate too much from the overall look of them. It's a great idea to try a couple of 'adjustments' though, because there are already enough similarities. They are all bent square tubing. They all have silver innies and outties at the tube ends. They all have sliver lining at the bands. Probably they will all have a simple patina, but I will be adding dissimilar textures to emphasis thier uniqueness.
I've already added a leopard spot kind of look to my simple single curve, and 'hairy' file marks to the mustache.
I will put both full lines up here in the next week or two.

Alex Grey

One of my favorite artists ever is Alex Grey. His images are intensely complicated and layered in pseudo transparent portrayals of human anatomy, energy bodies, and interactions.
The giant canvases encompass the human condition from birth to death, and quite a few of the betweens. The first painting I saw of his was "theolouge." A man in meditation sits in on a panoramic surreal plane with a mountain scape in the distance.

Although I prefer to create with an aesthetic of simplicity. I like to think the complexity of these kinds of interactions into my work as well.

http://www.alexgrey.com

Circles - Round Squares

http://www.adagiodesigns.com/fashion-gallery/pre_image20.jpg

http://designcrack.com/v2/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/circle-square.jpg

http://www.metalab.com.au/images/portfolio/Cl_Rings.jpg

These are not all from the same collection, but I wanted to post a couple of examples of the kind of work that is inspiring my current line. The form of my line is focused on the simplicity of the shape of the square and how it relates and interacts with the circle. These are some really great examples of where my head is when I'm working on designing new elements of the line.

A long long time ago I wrote (an otherwise terrible) poem with the line "circles round squares" which meant to invoke both the image of squares imbedded in circles as well as the concept of how we think of shapes. How did the idea of distinct shapes like circles and squares develop? Why did math geeks bother to devise formulas to map and create these shapes? Why do we like them?

Still working through these questions as the line moves forward...

Scattered points make a pattern.

Happy Monday Everybody,
I thought I'd use this weeks blog to work out an idea I have for some future work. Bear with me as I give the background information - it's all a part of the process.

Currently, I am starting on a line of rings, bracelets and necklaces made from square brass tubing. I'm having fun exploring the concept, materials, and processes involved, but I would have to admit that this line is what it is because it fits the perimeters of the assignment. I'm happy enough with the designs, but... I am really starting to feel like this line just isn't very me yet - even though the concept is. In it's simplest form - the line is about the link and comparable sameness of male and female. It's about how only the tiniest of differences really show - and that we are all really barely gendered beings. Sometimes it takes embellishments (jewelry, for instance) to advertise how we would like our gender to be perceived. It is also about this presentation of gender through appearance and behaviors. Boys do this and look like this, girls do that and look like that... the concept I am trying to portray is the blending of gender through appearance and behavior. Not girl or boy, but both and neither.

I have also recently begun work on our Bespoke object. I am building a jewelry sander, and in the process, learning quite a bit about mechanics. It was exceptionally exciting for me to discover how gears work, and how different shapes and mechanical configurations can create different forms of movement. Slight adjustments in shape or connection can dramatically alter the feel of a movement.

Through working in through both assignments, I have stumbled across the barest seedling of an idea for future work. I would like to incorporate mechanics into jewelry that is ultimately read as feminine. I would also like to make this work in a way that the wearer would learn something about the mechanics being worn. My first explorations will be with simple machines (lever, pully, etc..) and move through more complex movements (combinations of simple machines and the principals behind them).

This idea currently leans more towards exploring blurring feminine gender roles than blending female and male, but I'm sure I can find a way to pull it back over to the middle.

Body Modification – Implantation (AKA art or designed object that inspires me)

Image taken from: http://www.canadianmedicinenews.com/2007/07/q-why-tech-journalist-just-had-to-try.html

As a body modification enthusiast I have continually researched new and exciting trends in the bod-mod community. Something that caught my attention years ago, implantation, has more recently evolved to envelop something called transhumanists. People are getting devices implanted into their body’s that do some function or cause some ability in the implantie. I’ll get back to that in just a minute…

Body Modification has quite a mixed reputation depending on who you might ask to define it. Some see it as self-mutilation, others see it as cosmetic or spiritual enhancement, and there is a gamut of personal emotional feelings between.

I find body modification fascinating in all of it’s quirky realms. The desire to change the body seems innate to me in a world where not only is our environment squared off by cookie cutter design, but our bodies are never quite different enough either. With so many bodies in the world, the average difference isn’t enough to tell ten people of the same gender apart from each other at a distance of ten feet. Just today, I saw somebody I know, but didn’t recognize until she was very close. She was wearing the average popular clothing. Her hair is long and brown. She is of no distinctive height or shape, yet she recognized me in an instant – most likely because my hairstyle is fairly unique.

I think we all feel this to some degree, if not consciously, and we either enjoy and embellish our differences or hide them and blend in.

Body Modification enthusiasts fall into both categories.  Elective cosmetic surgery, done by medical professionals, tends to lean towards appearance conformity. The extreme ‘other’ end of this spectrum is home surgery or professional body modification. As I mentioned before, the newest trend in enhancing the body is to add abilities to the physical body.

Quinn Norton, a reporter for wired magazine has on ongoing research project involving this trend called transhumanism. She even went as far as having a magnet implanted in her finger to research and demonstrate how this works. For her, the magnet not only allowed her to pick up small metallic items without a grasp – it also allowed her an awareness of electromagnetic fields from some distance.

The predecessor of this trend was to simply implant some classic bod-mod jewelry shape under the skin rather than through it. Now, tech geeks are implanting computer chips.

I love the idea of jewelry interacting with the body in this hyper-cosmetic way. I’m not particularly interested in becoming a cyborg, but I am interested in seeing what kind of developments I might be able to provide for this field. Jewelry has always interacted with and enhanced the body; without overlooking ethical concerns, it will be interesting to see how far we can push that interaction.

Link to interview with Quinn Norton:

http://www.canadianmedicinenews.com/2007/07/q-why-tech-journalist-just-had-to-try.html

Link to info on transhumanism:

http://www.transhumanists.org/

Ten things from life that inspire me:

Miltown Kings (who also all just happen to be my closest friends) -

We all do drag performance together, and nothing makes an act better than doing it with one of these amazing people. A good Idea any one of us has becomes genius when it gets passed around the group. We all have a unique perspective and gift to bring into mix.

Funny Ear Hats -

 

I like a whole lot of silly in my life – it takes the edge off much better than substance abuse. Ear hats pretty much guarantee at least a moment or two of random, dorky, goofy fun, and they keep things light, relaxed and flowing.

Music you can Dance to! -

Moving my body keeps me aware of how it’s doing, and how I’m interacting with the world. If I can pull off the robot and NOT feel like a moron… things are looking good! I also listen to music while I work because it keeps my energy up, and if the song is really good, I can get ideas from the lyrics.

Costumes and Characters -

It’s rare for me to go a whole six months without donning a character and rolling with it for a night. Trying on different personas lets me have that ‘Other’ experience. I can feel what it would be like to have had a different kind of life, and it helps me find compassion and understanding.

Sacred Geometry -

Image from:http://www.genesis2012.com/FOL-symbolSM.jpg

I have been studying sacred geometry for years. I love the concepts and math behind the beautiful imagery. The Greeks used sacred geometry to obsess about and strive for ultimate perfect beauty. Many early temples were built on the math of the Golden Rectangle. The human body and supposedly the entire universe is in proportion to itself by the phi ratio of 1.68:1 I have quite a ways to go in learning all the details, but in the meantime, these concepts have already inspired a number of works of mine.

Simple Shapes -

Image from:http://cdn-write.demandstudios.com/upload//4000/700/80/8/34788.jpg

This goes along with the sacred geometry – or possibly stems from it. It’s funny really how a simple shape, especially in volume, can catch and hold my attention better than any fancy intricate design. Throw me a lace doily and a bouncy ball… guess which one I’m going to put down first. I really like how simple shapes can fit together in intricate patterns, or simple ones, and create the most beautiful decorations.

Conservationism -

Although large scale conservationism is a lovely thing and needs attention too, I’m talking more about not wasting or using more than I absolutely need. That’s right. I’m a big hippy. When you are done giggling move on cause there’s nothing else to see here.

Mythical Creatures -

Image from: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41NucRGHi0L.jpg

Another E-Hollywood true confessions, I love myth stories, especially ones about mythical creatures. Dragons, trolls, fairies... big foot, whatever, well, maybe not so much the unicorn. I really prefer the predator types. They tend to have better lore. This also includes stories about gods. I am fascinated with Greek and Roman god stories, tribal gods, the Christian god, and the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

Super Hero Girls - 

Created and Drawn by Diane DiMassa. Image taken from: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2345/2091802908_d3030c2db5.jpg

Hothead Paisan, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Laura Croft, Superwoman, Wonder woman, tank girl… any character that portrays a woman who fights back - Hard, and still has sensuality. True, in popular TV culture that sensuality is icky, sex sells, babe-alishiousness… which is why hothead is the pic. She’s not your typical kind of sexy… she’s my kind of sexy. …which leads me to the next inspiration…

Big Brains -

Not the kind that Zombies eat – I get really jazzed around people who really think about the world around them and try to work out solutions to the worlds problems. Even if they never find the solutions, I love to hear where people go in their heads. When I am alone with my thoughts, I think about people, and the interactions I’ve had with them, more than I think about anything else. Which of course leads ME to thinking about the world, and what it is I might be able to do about …something.

Pamela Soldwedel – Inspiring Artist

The idea that got me into school four years ago was that I could become a sculptor and work in large scale stone carving. Though I have adapted my initial interest to include (and for the most part focus on) smaller scale metal work, I still love the idea of chipping away at chunks of rocks. As I learned to research current and former artists as a part of my education, I ran across Pamela Soldwedel, a very inspiring stone sculptor – in her late seventies!

Image from: Artist Statement of Pamela Soldwedel

http://www.soldwedelsculptures.com/about_pamela_soldwedel.html

Pamela mainly works in swirling organic forms that represent an oceanic theme. Although I found her when I was researching stone work, I have more recently discovered that she also works in metal.

I find the shapes and movement in her pieces endlessly fascinating. The swirling, undulating forms carry you around the piece, but seem almost M.C. Escher impossible at times. Ishtar III is particularly stunning in this way. Every curve seems to draw you into the next and around the entire piece. I am also impressed by how she can take a heavy solid material like stone or metal and make it look as though it got caught in mid-motion or make it translucent as is the case in her alabaster work. Her pieces tend to have a light, dancing quality that completely transforms the material for me.

                        

Image from: "Ishtar III" a sculpture by Pamela Soldwedel http://www.soldwedelsculptures.com/ishtar_3.html

With images from her website, I was able to recreate this piece in plaster for my first sculpture class. Sadly, it will be many years for me still before I am able to recreate it well.

 

Image from: "Mantra II" a sculpture by Pamela Soldwedel http://www.soldwedelsculptures.com/mantrall.html

I also enjoy, and am inspired by, her mixed media work. Pamela puts stone and metal together in a way that seems like they were born together. In thinking about the materials, it makes a lot of sense to see them together like this. Metal is dug out of rock in the first place, and I love how she brings the two back together.

 

Image from: "Sedna" a sculpture by Pamela Soldwedel

http://www.soldwedelsculptures.com/sedna.html

Finally, my favorite bit of information about Pamela, is that she has been working in this medium for decades. Despite her age, you can tell that she is still going strong and still evolving her work. It would be a dream come true to someday meet her and possibly even work with her.

Folded Pigs

This weekend I rolled up into the Renegade Craft fair for a hot minute, and saw some seriously amazing work in some really interesting mediums. Although there were a number of innovative designs, both in the art work and display, my absolute favorite was the work in the Folded Pigs booth.

With only an hour an a half to cruise over three hundred venders, I didn't intend to stop at a booth full of simple, restaurant-style dinnerware in a creamy off-white color. What caught my attention, and stopped me cold in my tracks, was the skull and crossbones motif displayed prominently on a large dinner platter. The cross bones of course were cross utensils - a fork and a spoon. Other designs included cockroaches, anatomical hearts, and a brain with the caption "I love you more than zombies love brains."

I love how simple and consise the work is. The sepia tone design is clear and readable from a distance, and the plate caught my attention in a single momentary glance. The smooth ceramics reminded me of the quinticential greasy spoon dinner. The images however, are completely punk rock, or especially in the case of the cockroaches - hilariously creepy and gross.

I realize that these images are, in general, getting a bit played out and popularized, which lessens the value of them in my opinion. I can't help loving them on plates and cups anyway. In my own work, as much as I would like to be outstandingly innovative, this work stands as an example of subtle shifts in innovation. Dinner plates with desings on them - not a new idea. Skulls with specialized crossbones - not a new idea. Putting them together, really fun new idea.

I read this work to say that "pretty" dinnerware = good wholesome food = 'clean' plates, but what should you eat your vegan pizza and dumpster-dived chips off of? This is sooo not your mamma's dinnerware, and therefore appeals to my punk-rock-Martha-Stewart, black-cookie baking heart.

skull and cross-utensils 9inch dinner plate

image borrowed from http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=29962336

Day 1 - Excited and Terrified!

Hello and Welcome to my Jewelry Blog.

My name is Karvari Ellingson. I am currently a student at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee - majoring in Jewelry and Sculpture. I'm originally from a small town in Wisconsin called Tomah, but I spent the majority of my adult life in Asheville, North Carolina. If you listen closely you can still detect a mild southern accent and affectation in my speech.

I started school in North Carolina with the intention of becoming a stone carver - sculptor. After transferring to UWM and taking an intro class in jewelry making, I fell in love and decided to add it as a second major. I still envision working with stone, and possibly at some point adding glass, neither of which I have the slightest idea of how to work with. Hopefully, at some point in the course of this blog project, I will be able to report some experimenting with one or both.

I have not quite landed on a specific theme for my overall body of work yet. I keep dabbling in different areas of interest, and my work flows through the various inspirations. This admittedly does not look good on the resume. I am hoping, that as I hone my technical skills this semester, I can also narrow my focus - at least long enough to knock out some killer work.

I think the reason I have not already found a focus is because I feel like my two major passions may not be the most well received. Or, even more honestly, that I would be seriously embarrassed to present.
First, I am a sex positive, bdsm player, and I think I may have the most inspiration along those lines. I am of course worried that because of the "not-so-family-friendly" nature of this interest, that either I am going to censor myself, or someone else is. (I did just spend my formative years in the bible belt, where -and I am sooo not kidding - there were no figure drawing classes because school sponsored nudity was simply out of the question)
My second main interest is body modification. I am a piercer, and an amature tattoo artist. I am also interested in the more extreme forms of modification like stretching, training, and amputation, though mostly in theory rather than practice for those.

Of course, if I chicken out and decide to do something safer, I do really like comic book, super hero gadgets. I am such a techno geek. It would make me really happy to create something Batman would be jealous of.
Also a big fan of costuming and performing so there's always room to play along those lines as well.

I am looking forward to seeing how this blog helps me pull ideas together and document my overall progress. Feel free to comment on my ideas, photos, rants, or ask questions, or make requests.